(NewsNation) — Women and children who were taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 incursion into Israel were released Friday. It’s a possible step toward de-escalation in a war that has killed about 1,200 Israelis and more than 10,000 Palestinians.
“We confirm that the ICRC has received 24 civilians that includes a number of civilian women and children, under the humanitarian truce agreement,” Dr. Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, wrote in a statement on X. “Those released include 13 Israeli citizens, some of whom have dual citizenship, in addition to 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino citizen.
The 13 Israeli hostages are the first group of what is expected to be the eventual release of 50 Israeli hostages. In return, Israel agreed to pause its air and ground operations in Gaza for a minimum of four days.
“We just completed the return of the first of our hostages: children, their mothers and additional women. Each of them is an entire world. But I emphasize to you, the families, and to you, citizens of Israel: we are committed to returning all the hostages. This is one of the aims of the war and we are committed to achieving all the aims of the war,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Friday.
Twelve Thai nationals were also released, according to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
“I have received confirmation from our national security team and ministry of foreign affairs that 12 Thai hostages have been released. Our RTE staffs are on their way to receive them,” Thavisin said in a post on X.
Israel Defense Forces are accompanying the hostages until they reach their families in the hospitals, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said.
“An elite unit of the IDF and a force of the Shin Bet are now accompanying the abductees returning to Israel, after undergoing an initial assessment of their medical condition in Israel, Hagari wrote in a post on X. “The commanders of the IDF and its soldiers salute and hug the returning abductees upon their return home.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which delivered the hostages from Gaza into Egypt, also confirmed the release.
“We are relieved to confirm the safe release of 24 hostages. We have facilitated this release by transporting them from Gaza to the Rafah border, marking the real-life impact of our role as a neutral intermediary between the parties,” ICRC in Israel & OT said in a post on X.
The two American women and one American child who are being held hostage are not expected to be among the first group released Friday, a White House official confirmed to NewsNation, adding they “remain hopeful that there will be Americans among the 50 released.”
Dozens of Palestinian prisoners were also expected to be freed by Israel.
“We also confirm the release of 39 women and children detained in Israeli prisons in implementation of the commitments of the first day of the agreement,” Al Ansari said.
Some Palestinian prisoners held by Israel would also be freed as part of the agreement.
The plan is for the hostages, part of the 240 people abducted last month, to be released in bursts throughout the pause in fighting. Once the first batch is released, Israel is expected to free the first group of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel said the truce would be extended by a day for every 10 additional hostages released.
Qatar, which mediated negotiations between the two sides, said Israel would also allow more fuel and humanitarian aid into Gaza but did not provide details.
Hamas said hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid and fuel are to be allowed to enter Gaza every day as part of the deal. Supplies would also reach northern Gaza, the focus of Israel’s ground offensive, for the first time, Hamas said.
While several families will be thrilled to have their loved ones back, a significant number of hostages will likely remain in Hamas captivity, including men, women, older people and foreign nationals. The families who are not included in the current deal are likely to keep up the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to secure their own loved ones’ release with a future deal.
The deal was brokered by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt and announced on Wednesday. It capped weeks of fitful indirect negotiations and set the stage for a tense period that could determine the course of the war, which was set off by Hamas’ Oct. 7 raid.
While the cease-fire will grant Palestinians in Gaza a brief calm, the hundreds of thousands who have fled the combat zone and headed south are not expected to be able to return home. Israeli troops are expected to remain in their positions in northern Gaza.
The Associated Press and NewsNation’s Devan Markham and Robert Sherman contributed to this report.
